- This article sets out the contributions to the roundtable held on presentation of the book Institutions for Social Well-Being edited by Lilia Costabile. The authors discuss the relevance of the role played by the Welfare State and the costs and effects of economic growth, and go on to analyse the balance between Institutions, Society and the Market. Also taken into consideration are the possible disincentives deriving from an extensive system of social guarantees, and the policies most likely to curtail its negative effects.EconLit Classification: D600, O430, E020Keywords: Welfare State, Growth, Institutions and GrowthParole chiave: Welfare state, Crescita, Istituzioni e crescita